Can't Say No
by Ellen Smithee
Summary: When Katherine shows up on Alaric's doorstep looking for a place to stay, he can't bring himself to refuse. Alaric starts to realize that she has ulterior motives that could mean his doom-or his salvation. Alaric/Katherine, Damon/Alaric friendship
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first of three parts that I'll be posting over the next few days. Enjoy!  
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><p><em>I wait for the night to conquer me again<em>

_I can't say yes, I can't say no to you_

"Can't Say No (To You)," VAST

**I.**

Isobel had once joked that whoever had said the road to hell was paved with good intentions must've had Alaric in mind.

Alaric reckoned she was right about that.

**xXx**

Alaric barely looked up to acknowledge Damon's presence as the latter slid onto the barstool next to him.

"Finally escape your _roomie_?"

Alaric slid his glass out of reach as Damon tried to snag it, obviously too impatient to wait until his own was poured.

"For the moment," he said with a shrug. "She's fuck-all annoying."

"You can say that again." Damon's own glass arrived at that moment, and Damon took it from the bartender and sipped it. "So, did Katherine ever say why she's squatting in your loft and not following the lovebirds around Europe?"

Alaric could feel his ears burning as he stared down at his glass. "Nope. She just said she likes me and we make a good team." She'd also said Alaric _owed_ her after what Klaus had done to her in Alaric's body, but he wasn't about to tell Damon that part. Of course, he only had her word for what had happened: most of the things his body had done under Klaus's control were luckily still locked up in his brain, where they would hopefully remain.

Damon snorted.

"Yeah, right," he said. "She's lying, you know that. And she has an angle, even if she did help us bring down Klaus. You should just toss her out."

Alaric glanced at Damon.

"She more than just helped," he said. "Bonnie and Lucy wouldn't have been able to trap Klaus if she hadn't lured him to that clearing. Besides, kicking her out is sort of impossible. She's been invited in, remember? And I don't want to move. I _like_ my loft, despite everything that happened there. It's _cool_. It's not every day you find a place like that on a teacher's salary. Besides, if I don't figure out how to get all those bloodstains out of the hardwood floor, I'll never get my deposit back." He knew he could still stay at the Gilbert's' as he had until Jeremy had left for college a few months ago, but it felt weird to be there alone now that they'd both moved out of the house even though they'd told him he was welcome to stay there as long as he wanted.

"Your stinginess just might get you killed, Rick, you know that, right?"

Alaric pressed his lips together to hold back a retort. He didn't really care much whether or not something that went bump in the night killed him, to be honest. In fact, his capacity to care about much about anything anymore was lying six feet underground with Jenna.

"It won't," he said with a shrug. "Klaus is out of commission, Stefan is traveling indefinitely, and I doubt very much that either you or Katherine is a threat to anything but my sanity."

Damon sighed into his glass.

"You know, _I_ used to be the Big Bad around here. Just sayin'."

Alaric shook his head.

"Dude, I honestly don't know how to respond to that."

"Figures," Damon said. "I'm obviously losing my ability to intimidate." At that moment, Alaric's phone beeped. "Someone who isn't me is texting you at this hour? Should I be jealous?"

"Always," Alaric said. "And FYI, whiny emo-pires are not intimidating." Ignoring Damon's glare, he frowned at the display on his phone. "Fuck, I have to get home."

Damon's eyes widened.

"Dude, seriously? She rings and you drop everything?"

Alaric shrugged. "It's an emergency. We're apparently out of booze again and she wants me to bring some with."

Damon raised a brow and just stared at Alaric like he was trying to figure out what he should mock first.

"You said 'we'," he said finally. "Like there's a 'you'."

Alaric rolled his eyes. "There is no 'us'," he said. "This is Katherine we're talking' about, remember?" He sighed and got to his feet. "Later, dude."

"Later." Damon watched as Alaric bought a bottle of bourbon from the bartender and then waved as he headed out into the night.

**xXx**

Something was tickling his ribs, pulling him back to consciousness, and he swatted at it ineffectually. He slowly became aware of a warm, _naked_ body plastered against his back and he pressed back, sighing in contentment.

"Jenna," he murmured.

"Guess again," a voice purred in his ear.

Katherine. _Fuck_. Fully awake now, Alaric squirmed away from her and switched on the lamp on the bedside table. "Jesus, Katherine. We've been through this before. Go back to the couch."

"The couch is lumpy," she said, her lower lip jutting out. "Your bed is much more comfy. I don't see why we can't share." She stretched out on the bed, arching her back, grinning when she caught him staring at her breasts.

Alaric's mouth fell open and he forced his eyes back up to her face. "Are you kidding me? How can you even want to sleep in the same bed with me after what I-Klaus-did to you? Or do... whatever else you're implying we should do."

Katherine stared at Alaric for a long moment, her surprise evident for a moment before she hid it, and then she cooed at him.

"Aw, sweetie, that's so adorable," she said. "You're being considerate of _me_! First of all, you're right-_you_ didn't do anything to me. It was all Klaus's doing. And second of all..." She reached out and pressed her index finger to his chest, dragging it down his torso. Just before her finger reached the waistband of his boxers, he grabbed her hand and pushed it away.

Katherine rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, Rick," she said. "We're both adults here. And we're both hot. And I at least am horny. So let's do something about it."

"No," Alaric said, shaking his head. "Look, I can't do much about you staying here, but I'm not going to have sex with you. Maybe you don't have a problem with it, but I do, even if I can't remember... hurting you."

Katherine sighed.

"I'm a vampire, Rick," she said firmly. "A lot worse things have happened to me in the past five hundred years, believe me. And, like I said, you personally had nothing to do with the things that Klaus did." She leaned forward. "C'mon. Let's get back something of what he took from us. It might be empowering."

Her eyes raked his body hungrily, stopping at the charm hanging on a chain around his neck.

"This belonged to her," she said quietly, reaching out to run her finger over the smooth metal of the pendant. "To Jenna. Didn't it?"

Without answering, Alaric pushed her hand away. Katherine was the last person in the world he'd ever talk to about Jenna. Of course she'd recognize the charm from Jenna's vervain bracelet. She'd taken it from Jenna often enough while she was still alive, to compel her, to hurt her. Alaric had found it lying under the coffee table in his living room, no doubt where Klaus had thrown it after he'd-

Alaric screwed his eyes shut, blocking out the imagined scene. Jenna must have been so scared. Why hadn't he been with her that day, after everything that had happened? Maybe she'd still be alive, or he'd be dead, too. Either way, they'd be together.

"You can sleep here," he said, grabbing a pillow and pushing himself up. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No!" Katherine's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, tugging on it with surprising gentleness. "Don't be a ninny, Rick. We're both adults here. Surely we can share the bed."

Alaric stared at her for a long moment. He had no desire to sleep on the lumpy couch either.

"Fine," he said finally. "Just... no sex."

"All right," Katherine said softly as she lay back on the pillows. "Good night, Rick."

"G'night," he whispered into the darkness.

**xXx**

Jeremy was down from UVA for the weekend. He only lived a half hour away, but his school work and other activities kept him on campus most the time, and Alaric missed the kid more than he was willing to admit, especially now that Elena was off traveling with Stefan for an indefinite period of time. When he did come home, Alaric would return to the Gilbert house, and they'd spend the weekend watching football and hanging out whenever Jeremy wasn't off with Bonnie.

After an afternoon spent playing console games, they ordered pizza and settled in the living room with a few beers. Alaric had just sat down again when his phone beeped. He pulled it out, groaning when he saw the name on the display.

"Who is it?" Jeremy asked.

Alaric sighed. "Katherine," he said. "I never should've given her my phone number."

Jeremy snorted.

"You know, you can live here," he said through a mouthful of pizza. "Leave Katherine alone in your apartment if you don't want to just throw her out."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Jer," Alaric said with a grin, tossing Jeremy a napkin. He looked down at his beer. He didn't really feel at home in the Gilbert house anymore now that the kids were gone. Besides, he felt oddly responsible for Katherine. Who knew what kind of trouble she'd get into without Alaric there to keep an eye on her? "I can't leave her alone, God knows what she'd do to my shit."

Jeremy gave him a knowing look. "Uh, huh," he said.

"'Uh, huh'." Alaric frowned at Jeremy. "What're trying to say?"

"That's just an excuse," Jeremy said with a shrug. "Just pack up your 'shit' and leave her there." He leaned back on the couch and studied Alaric for a minute. "I'm starting to think you like her."

Alaric's stomach tightened and his heart started pounding.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said with a scowl. "She's a psychotic killer, remember?"

Jeremy's face grew serious. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I remember." His hand wandered up to his neck and he rubbed it absently before he looked up to meet Alaric's eyes again. "I just hope you know what you're getting into."

"I'm not getting into _anything_," Alaric said as he picked up another slice of pizza. "Jesus. You sound like my dad when I started dating Isobel. He never liked her."

"Yeah, and look where that got you. Your dad sounds like a wise man." Jeremy eyed Alaric critically. "Dude, I worry about you. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

_With an insanely hot, but crazy vampire in my bed?_ Alaric bit back the reply and shook his head with a snort. "Isn't it a bit early to start doctoring people? You only just started college. Med school's still a long way off."

"Just take care of yourself, all right?"

Alaric sighed. "Dude, you sounding more and more like Elena everyday."

Jeremy snorted. "I'll take that as a compliment." He wiped his hand on a napkin and reached for the controller. "Now, turn off your phone and get ready to have your ass handed to you."

**xXx**

The next morning, Alaric awoke to the sun beating into the master bedroom, where he usually slept when he stayed over at the Gilbert house, and he groaned, pulling the other pillow over his face. He hadn't gotten too drunk the night before, but he still felt a little hungover-his mouth was dry and cottony and his head was just as fuzzy. After a few moments, he rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom, shedding his t-shirt and boxers along the way. Once he reached the bathroom, he popped a few aspirin into his mouth, bending over to drink water directly from the tap to wash them down, and then he turned on the water of the shower. After testing the temperature a few times, he stepped into the spray with a wanton sigh, his head clearing almost immediately. For the first time in days, he started to relax.

"Hello, Rick."

Alaric let out a girly shriek and whirled around to find Katherine poking her head through the curtain at the other end of the tub. He felt the blood rushing to the surface of his skin under her gaze and he snatched the washcloth off the soap dish, using it to cover his junk.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled. "Jesus, Katherine. A little privacy maybe?"

Katherine just leaned against the wall, giving him a thorough once-over.

"I missed you," she said. "Believe it or not, the apartment is boring when you're gone."

Alaric's heart made a strangle little flipflop, but he attributed it to the previous night's pizza. "Yeah, right," he said. "Run out of booze again?"

He snorted as Katherine made a face. _Bingo_.

"Believe it or not, I _like_ you, Rick," she said.

"You're right, I don't believe you."

Katherine sighed. "You've obviously been listening to Damon."

"And Stefan. And Elena. And Caroline. And Elijah. And Jeremy. Even Klaus had your number. And I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of time till you add me to the list you've screwed." He frowned. "Screwed over." He glanced over at Katherine, who was smirking at his Freudian slip, and scowled.

Katherine smirk widened to a grin. "I'm sure you'd enjoy the ride either way, Rick," she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She looked him over once more. "You sure you don't want me to join you? I'll scrub your back. Among other things."

_Yes._ "No," he said emphatically. "Now get lost. I don't want Jer to get the wrong idea about us."

Katherine sighed as she pulled her head out of the shower and pulled the curtain shut.

"Fine," she called. "But you don't know what you're missing."

"Whatever," he called back. "There're a few beers in the fridge."

He didn't relax until he heard the door click behind her. He glanced down at his erection and let out a sigh as he turned up the cold water faucet.

Obviously, one part of him _did_ know what he was missing.


	2. Chapter 2

**II.**

Alaric stuffed the rest of the streamers into a trash bag and ushered the remaining party planners out of the gymnasium, grabbing a few of the trash bags on his way out. This year's Decade Dance (the 80s) had been a great success, despite all the big hair and neon-colored clothes and acid-washed denim-no evil forces had attacked the school or killed students this time-but it had been boring as hell. Now that Stefan and Elena had long graduated, Damon no longer saw any reason to help Alaric chaperon. No matter. Alaric would just drop by the boardinghouse and drink some of Damon's bourbon before heading home to Katherine.

Alaric's stomach twisted as he realized the direction his thoughts had taken. _Home to Katherine_. Where had that come from? Damon and Jeremy were right. It was time he got her out of his loft. And out of his life.

He made his way through the dark parking lot and tossed the trash bags into a dumpster before heading over to his car. As he approached, his footsteps slowed as he saw a familiar figure standing next to it. He wasn't sure if he'd imagined it, but she seemed to tense as he approached and then relax when she saw it was him.

"What took you so long?" she asked irritably when he reached the car, her eyes darting from side to side. "The dance let out _ages_ ago."

"I'm a chaperon, remember? I had to help clean up."

Katherine huffed in annoyance.

"Whatever," she said. "C'mon, get in, let's go."

He just rolled his eyes and raised his key to unlock the doors when he heard a sound coming from the other end of the parking lot.

"You hear that?" he asked, taking a step toward the sound.

"No!" Katherine seemed to be on the verge of panic, but he ignored her as he started to move. She was such a drama queen sometimes. Worse than Caroline.

"Rick!" she called again and then suddenly she screamed in pain. He whirled around just in time to see her drop to her knees, her hands pressed to her temples. A chill running down his spine, he glanced from side to side, looking for the witch or warlock who was attacking her and then he crouched down, pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, her body small and trembling, and a feeling of protectiveness washed over him. He pulled her to her feet and started to guide her towards the car when suddenly something tore him away from her. He cried out as he flew through the air, landing hard on another parked car and setting off the car alarm. He hit his head so hard that everything went dark for a moment.

As his head cleared, he heard voices approaching and felt someone tugging his arm.

"Stop it," he murmured, trying to pull his arm away.

"Rick, c'mon!" Katherine said, dragging him off the hood of the car. "We have to leave."

"What about that witch?"

"Warlock," Katherine said absently. "Gone. For the moment. But we're about to have company. Can you drive?"

"Of course I can..." Alaric clutched at her as his legs suddenly gave out under him. "Drive."

Katherine sighed. "Give me the keys."

When they reached the car, she situated him in the front seat like he was a child and buckled him in and then raced around to jump into the car, tearing off just in time to escape unseen by the cop car approaching the parking lot. They made it back home in record time.

Once they were inside, she guided him over to the bar in the kitchen and helped him get up on a stool before turning away to grab a dishtowel. Opening the freezer, she dumped the contents of an ice cube tray onto the towel and then brought it over to Alaric, placing it in his hand and then raising his arm to press it against his head.

"Don't move that," she said. "Now look at me."

"You can't compel me," he said, a petulant tone creeping into his voice. "I have vervain."

"I _know_," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm not trying to compel you, Rick. I just want to check your head."

"Oh." Alaric felt foolish so he held still for a moment as she stared into his eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. He didn't really pay attention as she did stuff with her fingers, probing and poking him. Instead, he focused on her eyes. All brown, like chocolate. Chocolaty goodness. And her lips. Red like strawberries. So soft and perfectly shaped... His eyes fell closed and he started to lean forward.

"I told you to stay still," Katherine said, pushing him back onto the stool. "You have a concussion. And we have to take care of it."

"Your eyes are like chocolate pools," he said. "Like the river of chocolate in _Willy Wonka_."

Katherine raised a brow. "My eyes are like a river of chocolate?" She shook her head, her tone a mixture of scorn and amusement. "Is that your idea of a compliment? No wonder you couldn't keep your wife."

Alaric frowned. Her comment stung a little, but he knew she was right. He obviously hadn't been man enough for his wife, anyhow, otherwise she wouldn't have ditched him to become a monster.

"That was my favorite movie when I was a kid," he said. "I liked the chocolate river."

"Uh, huh. Watch my finger." He tried, but failed to follow her finger with his eyes, giving up when he started to get dizzy. He focused on her instead. Her tongue was pressed against her upper lip in concentration, and he found the mannerism oddly _human_, not to mention adorable.

"My favorite scene was when they flew away in the glass elevator at the end," she said suddenly. "They seemed so... free." Her expression turned wistful, and Alaric wondered how she'd coped for all those years, never free, always on the run from Klaus. He had an urge to pull her into his arms and just hold her.

"You watched _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_? It doesn't seem like it would be your... thing."

"It was the seventies, Rick," she said. "We didn't have the Internet. Just TV, movies, booze, and acid."

"You used to drop acid while watching _Willy Wonka_?" he asked incredulously. "Whoa."

"Best way to watch it," Katherine said dryly. She raised her wrist to her mouth and bit into it before holding it out to Alaric. "Here, drink."

Alaric shook his head. He might be concussed, but he knew drinking blood was a bad idea.

"Uh uhn, no way," he said.

Katherine sighed. "C'mon, Rick. Just a little. Just enough to heal your concussion. You don't want to go to the emergency room, right?"

Alaric stared at her bloody wrist for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay," he said. "But just this once."

Katherine smirked. "Of course," she said, pressing her arm against his mouth. "Now drink."

Alaric grimaced as the taste and smell of her blood filled his senses and he went to pull away, but her hand slid up the back of his neck and held him still. He probed the cut with his tongue, eliciting a breathy gasp from Katherine, and then sealed his lips around it, letting the blood flow into his mouth. Revulsion soon gave way to appetite, and, before he knew it, he was swallowing her disgusting-delicious life source in large gulps. From a distance, he could hear her calling his name, exhorting him to stop. He only stopped when she twisted her fingers into his hair and pulled his head back with a sharp tug.

"Enough," she said, panting hard as she gave him a wide-eyed, searching gaze. "Don't be greedy, Rick."

"That's weird coming from you," Alaric said, a somewhat nasty tone creeping into his voice. He was feeling refreshed and brave now that his head was healed. In the next instant, however, he regretted it as something akin to hurt briefly flashed in her eyes before her face hardened.

"You need to shut up," she said, her gaze dropping to his lips. Before he could respond, she was on him, straddling his lap as her mouth attacked his, biting and licking and kissing his lips. He returned the kiss fervently, grabbing her hips and pulling her against his erection. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his hips, grinding against him as she sank her teeth into his bottom lip and then sucked it into her mouth. The blood lay thick and coppery on his tongue, mixing with the taste of _her_ blood, and he thought he'd never get enough of it. Of _her_. With a fluid motion, he pulled her off his lap and bent her over the bar, yanking down her jeans as he undid his fly and released his cock. He drove it into her, hard, and she cried out, tightening around him reflexively. She gripped the opposing edge of the counter as he moved, using it as leverage to meet his thrusts.

Her dark locks fanned out over her shoulders, and he scooped them up, twisting them around his fist. She grunted as he tugged her head back roughly by the hair and then ran his tongue up the side of her neck, nipping her earlobe hard.

"Rick..." she breathed, and she started to tremble, coming apart as she climaxed. Her spasms sent him over the edge as well, and he came with a shout, filling her.

Alaric stayed still for a few moments as he caught his breath, just holding her close, and she thankfully seemed just as disinclined to speak as he was. He knew he was going to regret it in the morning-technically, he couldn't even blame it on the head injury since she'd healed it first-but, right now, he didn't care.

Finally, he pulled out of her gingerly, setting her on her feet as he stepped away. Katherine whirled around and looked at him, her expression oddly vulnerable for a moment before her usual mask of disdain slipped back into place. "Well, well, well," she said, reaching out to tease the skin above the top button of his shirt. "I didn't realize you had it in you, Rick." She smirked as he slapped away her hand and she reached down to grab her shirt by the hem and then pull it over her head, exposing her perfect, perky breasts. "I hope you can get it up again. Because I'm just getting started..."

It was only much, much later, when they were lying entwined and exhausted in his bed, that he realized he hadn't thought of Jenna all night.

**xXx**

"I slept with Katherine," Alaric announced without preamble as he walked past Damon into the boardinghouse.

Instead of looking surprised, Damon just raised a brow.

"You mean you haven't you been hitting that all along?" he asked. "Why else would you put up with her?"

Alaric stopped in his tracks and turned to Damon. "Do you realize how misogynist that sounds?"

Damon snorted. "Rick, everyone knows she's a raging bitch, but she's hot and tends to get what she wants. That's an establishment of a fact and has nothing to do with misogyny." He put his arm around Alaric's shoulders and guided him toward the library as his other hand cradled his bourbon to his chest. "Now tell Uncle Damon all about it."

Alaric let Damon push him onto a chair by the fire and then took the glass of bourbon the other man had poured him.

"It just happened," he said with a sigh as Damon sat down across from him. "I dunno... she gave me some blood to heal my concussion and one thing let to another."

"Okay, wait, what?" Damon said, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "Concussion? What are you talking about."

Alaric took a sip of his drink.

"We were attacked last night," he said. "In the parking lot after the dance. Some warlock. He used that aneurysm thing on Katherine and some sort of invisible force on me. They took off when someone called the cops. Katherine gave me some of her blood to heal me."

Damon narrowed his eyes.

"And what did she say about that?"

Alaric shrugged.

"Nothing," he said. "First I was too confused to ask and later I was too... occupied."

Damon snorted.

"You obviously weren't right in either head last night," he said. "But don't worry, Rick. Better people than you have fallen victim to Katherine's charms."

Alaric groaned and raised his free hand to his face.

"What am I gonna do?" he asked. "This is just so wrong, I don't know where to start."

Damon sighed.

"I don't know why you don't just kick her out," he said. "I know she saved our skins, but that doesn't mean you have to let her mooch off you."

"It's more complicated than that," Alaric said, taking a draft of his drink. "I... can't explain it." He knew Damon would probably downplay Alaric's feelings of responsibility for the stuff Klaus had done to Katherine while in Alaric's body and he wasn't in the mood to hear it right now.

Damon gave Alaric a long, considering look.

"It's obvious she has some kind of hold on you, Rick," he said finally. "Even if it's just the clutches of her _vagina dentata_. Just... be careful, okay? Sometimes I think you have a death wish." His voice trailed off and Alaric could tell Damon was thinking of Jenna.

"I'm always careful," Alaric said, forcing himself to give Damon a reassuring grin.

"Liar," Damon said.

Alaric just snickered and rolled his eyes, but he was relieved when the conversation moved to less controversial topics.

**xXx**

A few evenings later, Alaric was relaxing in his favorite easy-chair grading papers while sipping bourbon from a tumbler, soft jazz playing in the background, and Katherine was out doing whatever it was she did when she wasn't around and getting on his nerves. He thus had the place to himself for the first time in days, and he planned to take advantage of his temporary reprieve-even if he somehow wasn't able to get Katherine out of his head. She'd blocked his every attempt to discuss the warlock who'd attacked them, telling him she had a lot of enemies and to drop it, before shutting him up... creatively. Ever since their "mistake," Katherine seemed intent on repeating it on every free surface of their apartment. As he remembered what they'd done on the very chair he was sitting on the night before, his cock started to harden and he dropped his hands to his crotch and squeezed.

At that moment, his phone beeped and he jumped, feeling very much like he'd just been caught in the act. Hastily, he picked up his phone, his ears burning in embarrassment.

_Meet me __ at Mirage._

Alaric rolled his eyes. Mirage was a popular night club in Charlottesville that Katherine frequented and totally not Alaric's thing at all.

_Sry, not my scene._

He stared at the phone as he waited for her to text him back, not caring how obsessive he seemed. It wasn't like Damon was here to mock him. After a minute or two, he was rewarded.

_Plz? Need u. He's here._

Alaric's heart plummeted. Oh, fuck, What had Katherine got into?

_The warlock?_ he typed.

_Hurry._ Her reply was fast, too fast, and Alaric's stomach tightened in fear.

_On my way._

**xXx**

Alaric arrived at the club about a half hour later. He started to get in line, but the bouncer-no doubt compelled by Katherine-waved him over and told him go right in.

He paused as he entered the main part of the club, looking for Katherine, but she was nowhere to be seen in the mass of people. His stomach twisted as his eyes combed the crowd-what if the warlock had found her before Alaric could get there? He was about to give up and check the back rooms when he spotted her on the dance floor, her long dark locks swinging around her as she moved sinuously to the rhythm of the music. He started towards her and then stopped, just staring for a moment as he took in the sight. Her eyes were closed as she undulated in obvious bliss, and she was smiling-real and natural for once-erasing the cruelty and cynicism that often made her seem so much older than her apparent physical years. Instead, she looked like a young girl again, innocent and without a care in a world, and his chest just _ached_.

As if she knew he was there, her eyes flew open and caught his, and her lips curled in a smirk, and the moment was gone. Still, he was drawn to her, his feet moving practically without his noticing it. When he reached her, she grabbed his hands and pulled him towards her, sliding her hands around his neck as she writhed against him without a word-not that he'd be able to hear anything over the loud pounding of the music. His hands slid down to her hips and he pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. She smelled like his shampoo (like _him_), he noted, but instead of being annoyed about her using his stuff again, he felt an odd sort of possessiveness.

The music ended and the spell was broken, just like that. She pulled away and grasped his hand, tugging him towards the bar. As they slid onto stools, she called out their order to the bartender and then slouched against Alaric, her body soft and warm and loose against his. He shook his head as he realized that she was _too_ relaxed. Typical.

"He's not here, is he?" he asked, nodding at the barman and he showed up with their drinks.

He could hear the smile in Katherine's voice, and his own lips curled up in response.

"No," she said. "I was trying to lure you here."

"'Lure' me?" he said, his voice reflecting his doubt. "That doesn't sound good."

Katherine let out a sound of amused exasperation and she pulled away from his side to gaze up at him.

"We're here so that you can have _fun_, Rick," she said, giving him a scolding look that reminded him discomfitingly of Elena for once. _Fuck_. Her resemblance to his stepdaughter was disturbing enough as it was. He was _not_ going to go there. He resolutely pushed the thought from his mind.

"I _do_ have fun," he said with a frown.

Katherine snorted. "Whittling stakes and preparing vervain darts is hardly 'fun'," she said, rolling her eyes. "Not to mention it's kinda creepy and insulting, like you expect me to kill you in your sleep." Alaric squirmed on his stool at that last comment and she sighed. "You can't spend the rest of your life getting drunk with Damon and moping about your dead girlfriend. Live a little, Rick."

Alaric's fists clenched on the bar. "Fuck off, Katherine," he snarled. "You're the last person to lecture me on the right way to mourn. You wouldn't know a true feeling if it smacked you upside the head."

She flinched visibly at his words and then her face hardened.

"Oh, fuck _you_, Rick," she hissed, jumping off her stool. "I hope your self-righteousness keeps you warm tonight because I am _done_ with you!"

Alaric muttered a curse under his breath. "Katherine, wait!" he called, wincing when all he got in response was her middle finger. He turned back to the bar and shrugging as the barkeeper gave him a sympathetic look. He downed his drink and then tossed down a few bills on the bar before heading to the door to the hall leading to the restrooms and other back rooms. He was going to hit the men's room and then head back to Mystic Falls. Maybe Damon would want to join him for a few pathetic drinks at the Grill.

He was just leaving the men's room and turning to head out of the club, when he heard a familiar voice crying out. Rolling his eyes, Alaric stopped short and whirled around, a cutting remark on his lips, but he froze when he saw a man dragging a struggling Katherine out the back door to the alley behind the club.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered. _The warlock_. He took off at a run after them.

A few seconds later, he burst through the door into a dimly lit alleyway, glancing up and down before spying them a little way down the alley, the warlock pressing Katherine against the wall with his body, while Katherine's hands gripped his shoulders. Without over-thinking it, Alaric looked around for a weapon and saw a sharp piece of wood broken off a nearby crate. Counting on an element of surprise against such a powerful warlock, he picked up the piece of wood and rushed forward, grabbing the warlock and pulling him off Katherine.

"Leave her the fuck alone," he growled and then he drove the makeshift stake into the man's chest. The man stared at him in shock for a few seconds, his hands gripping and tugging at the stake as he slid down the wall in what seemed like slow motion.

Alaric stumbled back a few steps, suddenly feeling violently ill.

"I thought you said he wasn't here," he rasped. "The warlock."

Katherine stared down at the man as he shuddered one last time and then expired. She turned toward Rick, giving him a considering look.

"That wasn't him," she said, an odd sort of excitement in her voice. "That wasn't the warlock, Rick. It was just some asshole." She was gazing at him intently. "He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer so I thought I'd make a late night snack out of him."

Alaric drew in a shaky breath, wrapping his arms around himself as he stared down at the dead body. "You mean I... I killed an innocent man?"

Katherine snorted. "He was hardly innocent," she said, her nostrils flaring in disdain. "You didn't do anything wrong. He was planning to rape me."

"I know," Alaric said. His whole body felt like it was going numb. "I just... I never... Katherine, he... he's a... a _man_." He started to sway and she grabbed him under his elbows.

"Hey," Katherine said, her voice devoid of any mocking tone for once-almost as if she cared, Alaric though, half hysterically. "C'mon. I'll take care of this. You just sit down over here, okay?" As she spoke, she was guiding him over to a crate a short distance away.

Alaric sat down heavily, shivering violently as he stared down at the ground unseeingly. He'd just killed someone. A bad someone, sure, if Katherine was to be believed, but it was a _person_. Not a vamp or a werewolf or some other monster. A human being. Alaric Saltzman was a murderer.

With a groan, he screwed his eyes shut and pressed his hands against his face. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. It had to be a dream. He was going to wake up in his armchair at home and none of this would have happened.

He was vaguely aware of Katherine moving in the background, the sounds of a body being dragged, the smell of something burning. Finally, he became aware of her approaching him, her spicy perfume driving away all the other bad smells.

"Rick."

She crouched down in front of him, grabbing his wrists and pulling his hands away from his face.

"Hey," she said. "C'mon, Rick. We gotta get outta here."

Alaric whimpered and tried to pull his arms away from her, but her grip was ironlike. Her eyes were just as hard, but they softened after a moment.

"Rick, please," she murmured. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. "We have to go. I got rid of all the evidence, but no one can know we were here."

Alaric shook his head, tears welling out of his eyes. How had it come to this?

"Leave me," he rasped. "I just... I can't do this anymore."

Katherine's fingers tightened on his wrists, grinding the bones together, but he didn't cry out.

"You _can_," she said firmly. "You're strong, Rick. It's one of the things I lo... like about you. C'mon." She rubbed her face against his, her cheeks wet as well, from his tears, he assumed. "I can help you. I can make it go away. The guilt, the shame-you don't _have_ to care anymore."

"No." Alaric should his head. "No compulsion. I don't want... I just... I _can't_. I want to stay in control."

Katherine pulled away, fixing him with her gaze.

"I'm not talking about compulsion, Rick. I can help you turn it off entirely."

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes widening as he caught her drift. Then again, he wasn't sure why he was so surprised. They'd been headed down this road all along.

Finally, he nodded almost imperceptibly and she raised her wrist to her mouth, tearing open the vein with her teeth before pressing it to Alaric's mouth. He clung to her as her blood slid down his throat, his eyes on hers. Then he leaned back, feeling her hands on his neck for just a second before everything went black.

**xXx**

As he slowly came to, Alaric noted the soft mattress beneath him. Dismissing the vague images in his mind as an ill-remembered bad dream, he snuggled under the covers and stretched out his hand automatically for Katherine. He cursed as he felt a burning sensation on his chest and he sat up with a start, grasping at the chain holding Jenna's vervain charm. He tore it off and flung it into the far corner of the room with a hiss and then looked around wildly.

Katherine, who'd been sitting on the chair watching him, jumped to her feet and approached the bed, mustering him with a critical look.

"How're you doing?" she asked.

Alaric was still speechless. He stared at his hand, now healed, and reached up to probe his gums, gasping in surprise as his fangs suddenly elongated, driving one of them into his finger. He sucked the finger into his mouth, shuddering as the taste of blood hit his tongue, repugnant, but delicious, too. His mind worked feverishly to put together the events of the past weeks and his head jerked up to stare at Katherine as he realized something.

"You never compelled me," he said in disbelief.

Katherine gave him an earnest look, or at least a close approximation of one.

"Of course not." She glanced over at the necklace where it lay on the floor. "You had Jenna's charm. Anyway, you're my... my _friend_, Rick. You can trust me."

Alaric snorted. "Yeah, right," he said. He held up his hands in a placating gesture when she narrowed her eyes. "Okay, okay. I just... I wasn't expecting that. I thought maybe you did and I just couldn't remember."

Katherine laughed. "Wait, you thought I've been compelling you, but you haven't actually tried to do anything about it? God, Isobel was so right about you, Rick," she said, approaching the bed and crawled onto it, coming to a halt in front of Alaric. She cupped his face and leaned in. "It's all you. You've been sleeping with me of your own volition all this time. And you like it." She pressed her lips to his and then pulled away. "You like _me_. Admit it."

Alaric's heart started to pound. He didn't really like Katherine, did he? He _loathed_ her. She was an evil-hearted, lying bitch who'd earned him a concussion and turned him into a vampire and god knows what else she had planned for him, but he was done with her. For good. He opened his mouth to tell her just that, but then her earthy, womanly scent assailed his senses and he was gone. Reaching for her, he dragged her into his arms, pressing his mouth to hers. She gasped into his mouth and he took advantage of her surprise to thrust his tongue into her mouth, moaning at the taste of blood in her mouth. He kissed her savagely as he pushed her onto her back and climbed onto her, his hunger for her, for blood all consuming.

"Need you," he growled, rutting against her. "So hungry."

Katherine pushed his head away from her throat and gazed up at him, her customary smirk back in place. She pressed her fingertips against the veins that now lined his cheeks with a gentleness that belied her expression.

"We have plenty of time for sex later," she said, her voice strained and breathless. "You need to eat, Rick. You're still transitioning."

Alaric took in a deep breath as he stared down at her. He wanted to keep making love to her, to drink from _her_, but logically he knew it wasn't enough. He had to drink real blood.

"Okay," he said, rolling off her reluctantly. "Eat first. Then we fuck." She rolled her eyes and tensed as if to jump to her feet, but he pressed his hand to her stomach. "Don't be like that, Kat. You know you want it. I can _smell_ how you want me."

Katherine snorted and shook her head, but he could see amusement in her eyes.

"First, don't call me 'Kat'," she said, pushing his hand off her. She sat up and shook her hair out. "And second, I should've known you'd be completely insufferable about this."

Alaric chuckled as he turned onto his back.

"Yeah, you probably should've," he said.

Katherine sighed and got to her feet.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go get you a snack."

Alaric crossed his arms behind his head as he waited. He reckoned he could get used to this life, despite the blood drinking-or because of it, a treacherous voice in his head said. He pushed the thought away. What had happened the night before was an aberration. He wasn't going to turn into a cold-blooded murderer due to one mistake. If Caroline could get by on blood bags without killing anyone, so could he.

At that moment, the door to his room opened and he looked up, expecting to see Katherine enter with a few blood bags. Instead, she was leading a pretty redhead into the bedroom.

"What that-" Alaric jumped to his feet and turned a glare on Katherine. "No fucking way!" he shouted. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Katherine frowned and made a downward motion with her hand.

"Watch it!" she hissed. "Do you want the neighbors to hear?"

"Of course not!" Alaric looked from Katherine to the woman in disbelief and then he continued, lowering his voice. "I'm not going to kill someone again! What about blood bags?"

Katherine let out a loud, put-upon sigh.

"I suppose they would work in a pinch," she said. "But you'll become a much stronger vampire if you drink directly from the source. We still have that small matter of that warlock who's after us, remember?"

"He's after _you_," Alaric said absently. He suddenly realized that he'd somehow moved closer while Katherine was talking until he was standing directly in front of the woman. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, inhaling her scent as his fangs emerged.

"She's been bad, Rick," Katherine whispered, reaching up to slide her hand around the back of his neck, tugging him oh-so-gently closer. "She deserves to die. Ask her what she did to her children."

Alaric's eyes flew open and he gazed into the woman's eyes.

"What's your name?" he asked, concentrating. He was rewarded by a slight dilation of the woman's eyes.

"Sheila," she said, staring at him blankly.

"What a lovely name," he murmured, shivering as Katherine's fingers teased the base of his neck. His hand slid up to Sheila's shoulder, her skin seeming to burn him. "Sheila... Where are your children, Sheila?"

Sheila's brow furrowed slightly.

"At the bottom of the river," she said. She sighed and pouted. "I didn't have a choice. Dwayne said he'd leave me if I don't get rid of them somehow. And God knows where their daddy is. It was the only way."

She whimpered as Alaric's hand tightened on her shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin, bruising it almost instantly. But that was the least of her problems.

"The only way," he said, his mouth hovering right over her jugular. A voice in the back of his head was warning him off, telling him to leave Sheila to the authorities, but he pushed it away. He was _hungry_. "I agree."

He drank and drank until the woman's body grew limp in his arms.

**xXx**

A few hours later, he awoke again. The body was gone, and his hunger was slaked-for the moment. He glanced over to see Katherine sitting near the window with a book in her hand, and his chest tightened. The sun glinted off her hair, bringing out golden highlights, and she seemed at peace, lost in whatever she was reading. He cleared his throat.

"Hey," he said.

Katherine looked up and closed the book, setting it down on the chair next to her.

"Hey," she said. "How're you feeling?"

Alaric drew in a deep breath as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Fine."

"Good." Katherine smiled, an actual smile, not a smirk, and reached into her pocket. "I have something for you."

Alaric stared at the object in her hand for a moment. A daylight ring? He started to reach for it, but then froze, his eyes narrowing. How'd she find a daylight ring for him so fast? He doubted that she would have gone to Bonnie in the few hours since he'd turned. Which meant...

"Just how long have you been planning this?"

Katherine's lips twisted into a petulant frown.

"I just... took precautions," she said. "Nothing more. Don't be so suspicious, Rick."

"Katherine..."

"Fine," she said, turning her nose in the air. "If you don't want it, I'm sure I can find some other vampire who-"

"Here," Alaric said in exasperation. He held out his hand. "Just give it to me."

Katherine put her hands behind her back and shook her head.

"Give me your hand," she said.

Alaric sighed and held out his right hand.

"The other hand," she said.

Alaric raised a brow and held out his left hand. She took it and turned it over, holding it in her smaller one as she slid the ring onto his ring finger. Alaric swallowed hard as he gazed at her face under the curtain of her hair, the significance of the gesture not lost on him.

"So, we goin' steady now or somethin''?" he asked, forcing a joking tone into his voice.

Katherine looked up at him, her expression devoid of emotion, though he imagined-hoped-that he recognized a flicker of something behind her eyes. "Whatever floats your boat, Rick," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She started to turn away.

Alaric's hands reached out to grab her, his speed astonishing himself.

"Wait! Maybe it does," he said, pulling her closer. "Float my boat."

Katherine eyed him suspiciously, but she didn't resist as he dragged her against his chest and slanted his mouth across hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**III.**

"She compelled you. It's the only explanation."

Alaric groaned and buried his face in his hands. To say Damon wasn't taking his turning well was an understatement.

"For the gazillionth time, she did not compel me, Damon," he said. "You know, this is kind of insulting. Don't you _want_ me to be a vampire?"

"Of course!" Damon said, rolling his eyes as he poured two glasses of bourbon. "But _I_ was supposed to be the one to do it. I had it all planned out. It was going to be _awesome_. But now you've gone and ruined it." He sighed. "She's got an ulterior motive, you know that, right? She didn't just turn you because you're hot. She's setting you up. I mean, come on. She already had the ring made, for fuck's sake. She's been planning this all along."

Alaric sighed as he took the proffered tumbler.

"I know," he said. "I don't know why, though. I'm just a noob. It's not like I'll be able to help much with whatever it is she's up against."

"Cannon fodder, maybe?" Damon shrugged. "But don't sell yourself short. You're a pretty resourceful guy."

Alaric's eyebrow rose at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks, dude," he said.

"Whatever," Damon said, rolling his eyes. At that moment his phone beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Oh, goody," he said, as he read the text message. "Stefan is checking in on me. He apparently thinks I'm going to burn the house down or something without him here to keep an eye on me."

Alaric snorted.

"He just misses you," he said. His eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh, shit. Elena. I still have to break the news to her and Jeremy. Don't, uh, say anything, okay? I want to tell her myself."

"Of course not, Rick," Damon said. "That's what friends are for."

Alaric nodded. "Well, I should get going so that you can call Stefan back." He turned to leave and then stopped. "Wait. You think I'm hot?"

Damon looked up from his cell phone and gave Alaric a shove. "Get out."

Alaric snickered as he left the house, but he couldn't ignore the feeling of foreboding deep in the pit of his stomach.

**xXx**

Alaric didn't have much time to mull over the problem. That evening, Carol Lockwood was holding one of her many charity balls, and the old gang was back in town for the weekend. Alaric decided it was best to break the news to Jeremy at the party-in public-in hopes that Jeremy wouldn't make a scene. As it was, however, Jeremy took the news quite well-so well, that Alaric had a feeling he'd almost been expecting it.

"Elena's going to _kill_ me," Jeremy said to Bonnie with a fatalistic sigh. "She made me promise I'd keep him out of trouble."

Bonnie patted Jeremy's hand.

"It's not your fault, sweetie," she said. She narrowed her eyes at Katherine. "I'm sure we all know who's to blame here."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "It was Rick's choice. I was just the instrument."

Bonnie scowled. "Why would Rick want to change into a vampire?"

Alaric's eyes widened. He had no doubt how Bonnie would react when she found out he'd murdered a someone in cold blood, someone he'd _thought_ to be a warlock, and he already had a permanent headache from dealing with Katherine.

"Oh, look!" he said with false cheeriness as he grabbed Katherine's arm and started to tug on her arm. "There's Caroline."

"Oh, yay," Katherine said unenthusiastically. "My favorite person."

Alaric shot Katherine a warning look as he dragged her away.

"Jesus," he muttered. "Jer is practically family to me. Can't you just behave for once?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Katherine tilted her head up and gave him a gamine gaze as she pressed against him, rubbing her breast against his arm, and he shifted as his dress pants suddenly felt uncomfortable. Christ, the last thing he needed was to get hard in the middle of one of Carol Lockwood's parties.

"Katherine..." he said warningly.

Katherine sighed and patted his arm. "Loosen up, Rick," she said. "I'm kidding. I can do nice. She'll never know what hit her."

"Yeah, well, I'll believe that when I see it," he said. At that moment, they reached the balcony, where Caroline and Tyler were standing, drinks in hand. As Alaric and Katherine approached, the facial expressions of the two became more guarded. Alaric could tell the exact moment they both realized he was a vampire.

"Hey, Rick!" Caroline said, giving him a look of concern. Her face hardened when she looked over at Katherine. "Katherine." She started forward, but stopped when Tyler suddenly gripped her arm. "You two have something you wanna tell us?"

"Yeah..." Alaric glanced at Katherine and then turned back to Caroline. "So, um, I'm a vampire now."

"So we noticed," Tyler said, furrowing his brow. He frowned at Katherine. "How'd it happen?"

Alaric froze for a moment. He could trust Damon with the information about the man he'd killed, but the others were a different matter entirely. Before he could reply, however, Katherine jumped in.

"Oh," she said, rubbing provocatively against Alaric's arm as she ran her hand up his shoulder to the back of his head. "You know how it is. We... lost control. Alaric is _so_ delicious."

"Katherine," Alaric murmured.

Both Caroline and Tyler looked horrified, presumably at the thought of their old teacher having sex with Katherine of all people.

"Uh, huh," Caroline said skeptically. "That's, um... totally TMI." She turned back to Alaric with a wide smile. "Anyway, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." She gave Katherine an arch look. "After all, I too know what it's like to be sired by Katherine."

"I put you into this world, I can take you out of it," Katherine murmured sotto voce.

Caroline blanched. "What?"

Katherine gave Caroline a saccharine smile. "Nothing."

She glanced up at Alaric from under her lashes, her eyes glittering in mocking amusement, and he suddenly found himself hard-pressed not to laugh as well. Then she turned back to Caroline and Tyler, plastering what seemed to be a genuine smile on her face.

"I love what you've done with your hair, sweetie," she said. "And that dress is just _divine_."

Caroline's frozen smile vanished as she stared at Katherine, and her body tensed.

"Thanks," she said curtly. "We, uh..." She glanced at Tyler. "We have to go... do a thing. Right?"

Tyler had been watching Katherine with a wary look on his face, but he jumped when Caroline poked.

"What?" He looked at Caroline and then his eyes widened. "Oh, right. The _thing_." He nodded and then started to tug Caroline away. "We'll, uh, see you guys later."

Alaric stared after them as they hurried off.

"Wow," he said. "You terrified them with kindness."

Katherine shrugged. "It's a gift."

She stiffened as someone called out his name and they looked over to see Carol approaching.

"Hello, Alaric," she said and then she turned to Katherine. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Carol Lockwood. You're Katherine, Elena's cousin, right? John's daughter? You and Elena look so much alike, it's astonishing! For a minute there, I thought she was back from Europe."

Katherine's smile froze and Alaric could tell she was dying to correct Carol's assessment of her looks. But she stayed in control.

"Yes, we do look alike," she said, through her teeth. "But I'm the better dresser. And I have much nicer hair."

Before Alaric could scold her again, Carol laughed, apparently taking Katherine's insult for teasing fondness. "You must miss her," she said. "How do she and Stefan like Italy?"

"They're doin' great," Alaric said quickly, jumping in to save Katherine from having to answer. "Damon talked to Stefan this afternoon, he can probably tell you more."

"Oh, that's nice," Carol said. She turned back to Katherine. "Why don't you come with me and I'll introduce you to everyone? They're all dying to meet you." She turned back to Alaric. "If it's all right with you, Alaric."

"Oh, I'm sure Katherine would _love_ that." Katherine gripped his arm so tightly that Alaric had to bite his teeth together to keep from groaning in pain. "Wouldn't you, _Kat_?"

He stifled a gasp as she dug her stiletto heel into his foot. "That would be lovely," she said, however, giving Carol a wide smile. Then, too low for the other woman to hear, she murmured in his ear, "I'll get you for this."

As the two women moved off, he whispered, "Don't eat anyone," and was rewarded by the sight of her middle finger held up behind her back. He started to laugh and turned, jumping when he ran into Damon. "Dude, watch it."

"It's not my fault if you're not honing your super ninja vampire skills, Rick," Damon said, his eyes narrowing as he watched Carol and Katherine disappear into the crowd. "You should've heard me a mile off."

"I didn't realize you were stalking me when you were a mile off."

"You should _always_ assume I'm stalking you," Damon said.

"Oh, right, 'cause you think I'm hot," Alaric said with a smirk.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Not as hot as me. So, have you found out anything?"

"Dude, the last time I talked to you was three hours ago. She spent most of that time getting ready for the party, not plotting my downfall."

"I wouldn't underestimate Katherine's ability to multitask," Damon said. "She's had more than 500 years of practice of screwing men over and leading them to their doom."

"Yeah, well, I don't have that far to fall," Alaric said with a shrug. "I can't be that much of a challenge.

Damon rolled his eyes. "You're a nice guy, Rick," he said. "Believe me, that's all it takes. She gets a charge outta corrupting people."

"Maybe." Alaric 's stomach churned as he remembered how he'd drained that woman. Sheila or whatever she'd been called. Who knew how many people he'd eventually have on his conscience before she was through with him? Damon was right about her and he shouldn't forget it.

"How are you doing with the hunger?"

"Okay, I guess," Alaric said. "I only want to tear out someone's throat every other second now. But I fed before we left."

Damon snorted. "Yeah, well, try to keep it in check. Tonight was probably a bad night to go out in public. You need time to adjust."

"Probably," Alaric said with a shrug. "Talking about it doesn't help, by the way."

"Whatever. Katherine should've been more careful, that's all I'm sayin'."

Alaric looked away from Damon, his gaze easily finding Katherine in the crowd where she was standing with Carol and a few women from the other founding families. He caught his breath as he realized her eyes were already on him with something akin to longing in their depths, and his heart skipped a beat. When she realized he was looking at her, she quickly glanced away and then turned to Carol, murmuring something to the other woman that he couldn't quite decipher over the noise of the crowd.

"Uh, oh, she's on her way back," Damon said mockingly. "I guess she can't stand letting you out of her sight, even for a minute."

"Shut up, Damon," Alaric said without heat. His mouth went dry when he saw the purposeful look on Katherine's face, directed at _him_.

"Oh, I know that look," Damon continued, as if he hadn't heard Alaric. "Whatever you do, don't do it in the conservatory. Disturbing lack of privacy there, dude."

Before Alaric could respond, Katherine had rejoined them on the balcony.

"Is this man bothering you, Rick?" she asked sweetly, fluttering her lashes at Damon.

"Always," Alaric said, smirking at Damon, who rolled his eyes.

"Fine," Damon said, grimacing in obvious annoyance. "I can tell when I'm not wanted. Later, _bro_."

As Damon headed off towards the bar to replenish his drink, Alaric turned to Katherine with a grin. "So how was your introduction to Mystic Falls high society?"

"It was _horrible_," Katherine said, sliding her arms around Alaric's neck, closing her eyes as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Remind me why I didn't just rip their throats out."

Alaric snorted. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm not saying you _should_, just... it doesn't seem like you." He wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as he buried his face in her hair. He couldn't get over how good she smelled, how right she felt in his arms.

Katherine sighed as she pressed against him, moving slowly to the music that trickled out of the speakers on the lawn.

"Carol seems to think you're a perv," she said. "She thought it was terribly interesting that you're dating a woman who looks so much like one of your former students, not to mention the niece of your dead girlfriend." Alaric stiffened slightly at her words, but she didn't seem to notice. "Should I worry?"

"Believe me, you're nothing like Elena," Alaric said, fighting to stay calm. How dare she mock Jenna like that? He twisted his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back, not ungently, until he was looking into her eyes. "And I do know the difference."

She stared at him for a long moment, her lips tightening into a thin line.

"Are you insulting me?" she asked, extricating herself from his embrace.

"Just statin' a fact." Alaric shrugged, feigning nonchalance despite the conflicting feelings warring within him. He wanted to haul her back and kiss her, but he wanted to hurt her, too. He wanted her to react with something other than her smirk attitude for once. Just one small indication that she might really care for him after all. For a moment, he thought he saw it, the barest flicker of emotion in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant as her mask of cool arrogance slipped into place again.

"I'm not sure I know what you're implying, Alaric," she said coolly, folding her arms over her chest. "Just what are you accusing me of? What has Damon been saying about me?"

"This has nothing to do with Damon," he said, mirroring her stance. "But fine, if you want to know. I think you set me up. You're just using me. What am I, cannon fodder?"

Katherine clenched her fists at her sides as she glared at him.

"Got it in one, Alaric," she said. "You're much smarter that I gave you credit for."

A sharp pain went through his chest at her words, much keener than anything he'd ever felt as a human. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her closer again, digging his fingers into her biceps. She winced, but she didn't try to pull away.

"Was any of it real?"

She raised her chin.

"No," she said, her voice dropping to a low hiss. "None of it. You were just a tool, Alaric. And not a very competent one at that. I only need you as long as you're useful, and don't you forget it. Otherwise... accidents can happen."

Alaric's chest squeezed so hard at her hateful words, he thought he would've suffocated if he were still human.

"Bitch!" He snarled. He lowered his head, noting the widening of Katherine's eyes before he crushed her lips with his. A part of him desperately wanted to believe that she was lying, that he could _make_ her admit that she wanted and needed him, and, for a moment, he thought he'd won: after a brief struggle, she melted against him, her mouth opening under the onslaught of his mouth and tongue, meeting the force of his desperation with an equal and opposite one. Just as suddenly, however, she was pulling away. Her hand lashed out to meet his cheek and he found himself thrown several feet, landing on his side and sliding into the banister, which prevented him from falling into the gardens below.

"Fuck you!" she snarled. "I don't need this! I don't need _you_!" She turned on her heel and raced towards the stairs heading down to the gardens.

Alaric pushed himself to his feet with a groan, looking around to make sure no one had seen their argument before following her, already filled with regret. He could see her hurrying across the grounds towards the line of cars and he quickened his pace, bounding down the stairs. Suddenly, a dark figure stepped out of the shadows and Katherine lurched to a stop. Alaric strained to listen, but the noise from the party created a momentary feedback loop, and he pressed his hands to his ears with a wince. Katherine started to back away from the man and then she collapsed with a shriek. _Fuck_.

"Katherine!" The man whirled around at Alaric's cry and raised his hand. Pain surged through Alaric's head, blinding him in its intensity, and he fell to his knees with a strangled cry. The last thing he saw before slipping into unconsciousness was Katherine being shoved into a car.

**xXx**

Alaric awoke with a start and started to sit up, grabbing his head with a groan as residual pain shot through his head once more. His teeth were aching and he was _starving_. It didn't help that he could _smell_ the blood of at least three people somewhere near him.

"Fuck," he muttered. "What hit me?"

"Aneurysm," Damon said. "Never seen a reaction like this before. Whoever did this to you was either really strong, or you're the wimpiest vamp _ever_." He grabbed Alaric's hand and pressing a blood bag into it. "Here, drink this."

Alaric blindly guided the bag to his lips. The end of the tube had already been cut so he sucked it into his mouth, drinking greedily. The bloodlust was starting to fade, though not entirely. Finally, as his head began to clear, he opened his eyes, looking around frantically at the faces of the people surrounding him-Damon, Jeremy, Bonnie, and... Lucy Bennett? But one face was missing.

"Katherine," he said, struggling to sit up. "She's in danger. I have to save her."

"Whoa," Damon said, pushing him back onto the couch. "Not so fast, young Skywalker. Tell us what happened."

Alaric took another blood bag from Damon, sipping slowly as he tried to piece together the events of the evening.

"We had an argument," he said finally. "She ran off towards the cars and some guy grabbed her. When I went after her, he gave me this." He winced as he rubbed his temples.

"Did you get a look at 'im?" Jeremy asked.

Alaric shook his head. "It was dark," he said. "Guy was taller than Katherine. I'm guessin' it was that warlock who's after her."

"I _told_ you," Lucy said, giving the others a significant look and then turned her gaze on Alaric. "His name is Gavin and he's one of Klaus's warlocks. I had a run-in with him a few months back, before he came here. He blames Kat for Klaus's capture. And he wants to know where the Originals are keeping him. I imagine he plans to torture it out of her, and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."

"But no one knows where Klaus is," Damon said. "Elijah and the other Originals disappeared with him right after Bonnie and Lucy performed their little spell to trap him. None of us have heard from them since."

Alaric let out a sound of exasperation. "Look, I don't care about that," he said. "We have to help her." His stomach plummeted as he noticed the looks the others were exchanging. "Guys? What's goin' on?"

"Yes, why don't you tell him, _Judgy_?"

Bonnie scowled at Damon and then turned to Alaric. "There's no guarantee that we'll be able to find them. And even if we did... Are you sure you want her to come back after everything she's done? I know she put herself at a great risk to lead Klaus into our trap, but she's still the same self-serving conniver as she ever was. She turned you into a vampire, Rick. That should be proof enough."

Alaric's chest had constricted so tightly that he almost told himself to breathe, before he remembered that he didn't have to anymore.

"First of all, I _asked_ her to, all right?," he said irritably. "But even if I hadn't, that's not the point. Remember that saying about glasses houses, Bonnie? Remember what you guys did to Mason Lockwood? And let's not get into how none of us are talkin' about the shit Stefan got into with Klaus a few years ago. We're all guilty here. We're all monsters in our own little way. So are you gonna help me? Because I'm gonna try, whether you guys've got my back or not."

Bonnie clenched her fists at her sides, looking down as her eyes filled with tears.

"Give us a minute," Jeremy said. Taking her arm, he led her gently out of the room.

"Well," Damon said, raising a brow. "_I_ at least need a good stiff drink. BRB." He picked up the empty carafe and headed off towards the kitchen.

Alaric leaned back against the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose. He tried not to listen to the tense discussion between Jeremy and Bonnie in the other room, but his vampire hearing was playing another trick on him, and he couldn't control it. He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of what Katherine might be going through at the hands of Gavin-if she was even still alive. If Bonnie refused to help, he'd just find another way to save her, no matter what happened to him. He wasn't going to let the others make him sit idly by again while another one of his girlfriends was sacrificed.

"You seem to be handling this well. The transition, I mean."

He looked up in surprise, having forgotten that Lucy was still in the room. He let out a bark of laughter.

"You're jokin', right?" he said. "I wouldn't say I was doin' well. I'm hungry all the fuckin' time and I can't control my new super mutant powers. Not to mention the fact that my girlfriend is in the hands of someone who wants her dead."

Lucy gave him a considering look. "You really do care about her, don't you?"

Alaric's eyes fell to his hands, his chest tightening. He didn't _want_ to care. Who knew how many people Katherine had killed over the years? And how long before he became just like her?

"Why are you trying to help?" he asked, pushing the dark thoughts out of his mind. "I thought you and Katherine were on the outs."

Lucy's eyebrow shot up. "It's... complicated. I guess you could say we're on-again, off-again... well, 'besties' probably isn't the right word. Let's just say it's really hard to say no to her when she turns on the charm." Then she grinned. "Besides, I like having her in my debt every now and then."

Alaric snorted and shook his head. _Just like Damon._ "Oh, yeah, I've noticed that. The charm, that is."

Lucy smiled and then reached out to run her finger over Alaric's daylight ring.

"Maybe she can change," she said. "Deep down, you believe that, right? I mean, you let her turn you."

Alaric rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well. I don't know what she told you. I didn't want to get into it with the others, but she did actually sorta trick me into that."

Lucy threw her head back and laughed. "Well, Rome wasn't built in a day, Rick. I can't believe I'm saying this, but... give her a chance. She might surprise you."

Alaric held up his hand. "You made this, didn't you?" he said. "Why?"

Lucy shrugged. "You've always seemed like a good guy, Rick. I've known Katherine for a long time and the way she talked about you... well, let's just say it's a hunch. I think the two of you are going to be just fine."

Before she could elaborate, Jeremy entered the room.

"Bonnie says she'll help," he said. He turned to Lucy, nodding his head towards the room he'd just left. "She asked me to send you in."

"Sure." Lucy reached over to squeeze Alaric's hand before getting up and leaving the room. From the sounds of it, the two had been joined by Damon.

Jeremy fell onto the couch next to Alaric.

"You okay?" he asked.

Alaric nodded. "Thanks, man," he said. "I know you have every reason to hate Katherine after everything she did to you and Elena, but I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, well.." Jeremy's hand reached up to his neck and he rubbed it absently. "I guess I'm willing to give her another chance. She did help us catch Klaus. And... I hate to admit it, but you've changed since she came into your life. It's like you're the old you again."

"All I'm hearin' is you callin' me old."

Jeremy snorted and punched Alaric's arm.

"You know what I mean." Jeremy took a deep breath. "You're family. I... Elena and I... We care about you. A lot. You were always there for us and now I'm returning the favor. Elena would insist if she were here."

Alaric's chest tightened at Jeremy's words. He and Jeremy both knew that it was really Jeremy and Elena who'd always kept him together after Jenna died. They were the ones who were always taking care of him. He'd failed them in so many ways over the years, he'd long ago lost count. He didn't deserve to be their friend, let alone their _family_. He hesitated and then slid his arm around Jeremy's shoulders and pulled him into an embrace.

"Love you guys, too," he mumbled, his ears burning.

At that moment, the others entered the room, stopping short on the threshold at the sight of Alaric and Jeremy hugging. Damon smirked and opened his mouth, only to let out a pained, "Ow!" when Bonnie stomped on his foot. Alaric and Jeremy jumped apart quickly, both clearing their throats at the same time to cover their embarrassment.

"So," Bonnie said, struggling to keep a straight face. "I think we have a plan that just might work, but we need something of hers-blood, hair..."

"Hair," Alaric said quickly. "That hair of hers gets into everything. It's all over the apartment. Drives me nuts. She's never cleaning out the drain in the shower."

"Well, that's what happens when you leave the seat up, Rick," Damon said.

"Bite me, Damon."

Damon opened his mouth with a rejoinder, but closed it again at a glare from Bonnie.

"We only have till sunset," she said. "That's not much time, and we have a lot to do."

"Thanks, Bonnie," Alaric said. "I really appreciate this."

Bonnie smiled. "Don't thank me yet. C'mon, we'll do the spell at your place."

**xXx**

As they trudged through the woods towards the location Bonnie had pinpointed, Alaric laid his hand over his heart where a spelled stake lay in his breast pocket, and he was wearing his usual stakes up his sleeve. They could already hear a low chanting floating on the breeze and Alaric quickened his pace. He didn't even want to consider what would happen if they didn't stop the warlock in time.

.

After a moment, they emerged in a clearing. Alaric looked around, his stomach twisting in fear until he spied Katherine in the middle of a circle of fire, on her knees with her hands bound in front of her as Gavin's voice echoed through the night. He was barely aware of his friends springing into action beside him, Bonnie and Lucy holding hands as they gathered their powers while Damon and the others faced off the vampires who were charging them. Instead, Alaric's attention was focused on Katherine. Pulling out the spelled stake, he sprinted towards her.

Just before he reached the circle, however, something hard hit him, knocking him to the ground. The spelled stake dropped from his grasp as he was wrestled onto his back by a large, powerful vampire. The vampire raised his arm to drive his own stake into Alaric's chest. Alaric tried to push the other vampire off him, but he was older, stronger, and still the stake neared. Alaric pressed his other hand against the vampire's chest, flicking desperately at the catch of his stake shooter, but it was jammed. He'd just about given up when the vampire was suddenly gone. Alaric looked up just time to see him flying across the clearing, directly onto a stake Jeremy was holding.

"Nice shot," Alaric muttered to Damon as the other man helped him up.

"Ten points for me," Damon said. He brushed off Alaric and then pointed him towards Katherine. "Now it's your turn."

Starting towards her once again, Alaric reached for the spelled stake and froze as he remembered dropping it when the vampire had attacked him. He dropped to his knees, feeling around on the ground for it. His fingers brushed against it and his shoulders sagged in relief-but as he stretched to pick it up, he heard the sound of wood clacking against wood. The stake of his attacker.

His stomach plummeted as he examined the stakes. He hadn't bothered to mark the spelled stake since it was the only one of that size he'd been carrying, but both stakes were about the same size. He had no idea which was which.

He raised his head and looked around. The number of vampires was thinning rapidly, and Gavin was distracted for the moment, but who knew how long that would last? He had to decide.

He stared at the stakes for a few seconds until an idea started to form. He'd had problems controlling his new vampire powers, but they were there. He just had to concentrate. Taking a deep breath before letting it out with a huff, he closed his eyes and raised one of the stakes, inhaling deeply. On the first one, he detected his own scent and a cheap, cloying cologne. His heart started to pound as he realized he couldn't remember what the other vampire had smelled like, but he forced himself to continue. This time his own smell was stronger, as was another scent, sweet and earthy, which had to be Bonnie, who'd spelled the stake, and something like brimstone, the magic itself. This was it. It _had_ to be.

Jumping to his feet, he sprang into the circle and rushed to Katherine's side, pulling her up by her bound wrists. She gasped and stared at him, hope and something else shining through. For a moment, he fancied he was seeing the girl she'd once been, before Originals and thousand-year-old curses had worked their insidious magic on her.

"Rick!" she said breathlessly. "You came! I-" She broke off, her eyes widening as she saw the stake in his hand. She started to pull away, but, weakened by vervain and a lack of blood, she was in no state to resist him. "No! Please, Rick, don't!" Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "Please. I love you."

Alaric's chest tightened and he wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her, but he could see one of the vampires rushing at them from the corner of his eye. This had to come to an end. He tugged her closer until he was staring into her frightened eyes.

"Trust me," he breathed. His hand tightened on the stake. _Be the right one_.

He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her soundly, and then, pushing all doubts out of his mind, he drove the stake into her heart. She let out a surprised breath and then she stilled. He broke the kiss and gazed down at her graying face. The battle raging around him faded into the background as she grew cold and stiff in his arms. He dropped to his knees, holding her tightly as he rocked her body, oblivious to his surroundings until the only people left standing were his friends and Gavin.

"Go," Bonnie was saying. "Leave this place in peace. If Katherine knew the secret of Klaus's whereabouts, it died with her. There's nothing more you can do."

Gavin looked over at Katherine's dead body, his eyes boring into Alaric's for a long moment.

"We'll see about that," he said. Everyone jumped as a loud bang sounded and a cloud of smoke filled the clearing. When it dissipated, he was gone, along with the fire that had been encircling Alaric and Katherine.

"Rank amateur," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Do you think he's gone for good?" Jeremy asked as he slipped his arm around Bonnie's shoulders.

Bonnie exchanged a glance with Lucy. "Yeah, I'm sure," she said. "He was just bluffing. With Katherine dead, there's no reason for him to stay around."

Alaric felt a presence next to him and he turned to find Damon crouched down next to him.

"Need any help?" Damon asked. His jaw tightened as he gazed down at Katherine and he reached down to stroke a lock of hair out of her face. Alaric resisted the urge to bat Damon's hand away.

"No, I've got her," Alaric said. He got to his feet awkwardly, unwilling to let go of her just for a moment. "I'll take care of her." He looked up to meet Bonnie's eyes and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"It's gonna work," she said, sounding confident. "I promise."

Alaric nodded as he shifted Katherine in his arms and then headed to his SUV. He just hoped Bonnie was right.

**xXx**

It took much longer than he'd expected, so much that he was starting to wonder if Bonnie had tricked them about being able to bring Katherine back or if he had mixed up the stakes after all, when she finally stirred. He instantly moved from the chair to the bed, sitting down next to her. Her eyes opened and she looked around in confusion for a moment before her gaze lit on him. She drew in a sharp breath and sat up, pulling up the covers protectively as she pressed against the headboard, her eyes narrowed in an accusing glare.

"You... you killed me."

"It was a spelled stake," Alaric said, holding up his hands to placate her. "You're obviously not dead."

As if to verify the truth of his words, Katherine lifted the sheet to examine her chest.

"Why am I naked?" she asked with a suspicious frown.

Alaric cleared his throat. "I, uh... don't have an answer to that."

Rolling her eyes, Katherine snorted and shook her head. "And Gavin?"

"Gone," Alaric said. "He left when he thought we'd killed you."

Katherine let out an exasperated groan. "Why didn't you kill him?" she asked "He'll be back as soon as he figures it out."

Alaric shrugged. "It was Bonnie's show," he said. "So we're just not gonna let him figure it out." His jaw set in a grim line.

Katherine stared at him for a long moment and then she sighed demonstratively.

"C'mere," she said, her face softening. She crooked her finger.

Alaric leaned forward and kissed her gently at first and then a little harder as all his frustration and fear came to the surface. Katherine's response was slow and hesitant, but then she was giving as good as she got, pressing against him with a sigh as she slid her fingers into his hair. After a moment, he broke away with reluctance, swallowing hard as he looked into her eyes.

"Okay," he said. "We need to set a few ground rules."

"Ground rules? That sounds... _awesome_."

"Katherine..."

"Go on." She waved her hand. "This should be good."

Alaric let out a put-upon sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "All right," he said. He started to count off on his fingers. "Only blood bags from here on out. And no more killing-well, _unnecessary_ killing. Not even criminals. We leave it up to law enforcement to give them their just deserts."

Katherine scowled. "And here I thought you were going to be 'fun'."

"Yeah, well, you shoulda thought of that before you turned a school teacher. Speaking of which, what _is_ the real reason you turned me?"

"Rick..."

"I wanna know!" he said insistently. "I _need_ to know."

Katherine looked down at her hands, suddenly very interested in her nails.

"You're hot, all right?" she said, her voice uncharacteristically small.

"Damon says I'm hot all the time, but he's never tried to turn me."

Katherine raised her head and stared at him for a long moment, and he could tell she was dying to ask under what circumstances Damon had told him he was hot.

"That's his loss," she said finally. "I also like you. A lot. So... I decided to keep you."

"That's so... twisted and wrong," Alaric said, a grin splitting his face despite his words. "And the warlock?"

"Coincidence," she said with a shrug. "You were just in the right place at the right time."

Alaric gazed at her for a long moment as he considered what she'd said. He didn't quite believe that her motives were pure, not by a long shot, but it was enough for now.

"So it's true, what you said. You're in love with me," he said with a smirk.

Katherine blanched and she started to pull away.

"Don't be an idiot!" she snarled, her voice taking on a panicky tone. "I do _not_ love you. God, you're impossible! That was just... I was just... It was a lie, okay? So that you wouldn't kill me. _Jesus_. Now let me go. I'm leaving."

"Liar," he said hoarsely as he quickly stood up and grabbed her, pulling her towards him again. "And I'm not letting you run away again, like you did with everyone else. You belong to me now. And that's that."

"Rick..." Her voice had a warning tone, but she let Alaric tug her into his arms, which he considered to be a good sign.

"Kat..." He tried not to laugh as her eyes narrowed. He brushed his lips against hers, just barely. "Promise me you'll stay."

Katherine let out an exaggerated sigh. "For now," she said, closing the distance to press her mouth more firmly against his. Alaric let her kiss him for a moment and then he pulled away.

"Forever."

"Don't press your luck," she said, but he could hear the suppressed laughter in her voice.

"OK, that's good enough, I guess," he murmured. "For now. I love you, Katherine."

"I... possibly like you enough not to kill you in your sleep later. Unless you call me 'Kat' again."

Alaric laughed. "Fair enough," he said. His face grew serious as he pulled her closer still. "Don't do that to me ever again. I don't know what I would've done if you'd died."

"Well, Damon does think you're hot," Katherine said. "I'm sure he would've found some way to 'comfort' you." Her tone was light, but Alaric thought he detected a note of jealousy.

"I'm sure he would've," Alaric said, pushing her back onto the mattress. "But right now, all I wanna think about is you and me and what we're about to do on this here bed..."

**xXx**

Alaric awoke slowly, grinning as he stretched. He felt like he was waking up, fresh and new, after a long sleep. Then his hand fell on the empty pillow beside his and his eyes flew open. She was gone.

He'd only just begun to register his disappointment as the door to the bedroom flew open and Katherine marched in with mussed up hair, wearing his shirt and carrying two steaming mugs of coffee along with the newspaper. She crawled onto the bed, passing him his mug before sitting down next to him. Without a word, she handed him the sports section and then opened the business section.

"Why do you assume I want the sports page?" he asked.

"Because you have a penis," she said matter-of-factly, not even looking up from the paper.

Alaric snorted and reached for his coffee. Taking a sip, he leaned back against the headboard and slung his arm around Katherine, pulling her close as they both read the paper in companionable silence.

_Finis_

* * *

><p><strong>Since this was written for the TVD Big Bang on Live Journal, there's also gorgeous art and a mix by the brilliant sourpony! It can be found here: hxxp :  / colourkills . livejournal . com / 49192 . html (replace the x with t and delete the space characters). That post includes a link to the story on my LJ where you can see the art together with the story. Enjoy!**_  
><em>


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